Need a little help - budding home framer.

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lucasmathews
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Joined: Thu 18 Jun, 2020 9:48 pm
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Need a little help - budding home framer.

Post by lucasmathews »

Good afternoon all.

I'm new to framing, and have my own ideas about the questions I'm about to ask but would really appreciate some input. I have a workshop, all the gear, and a full-time job. Im a Tugboat Captain and work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. This will be my sideline when home.

I won't have a shop or showroom, and will operate by word of mouth. Quietly ticking over is fine for me - I have a newborn too and so I don't want my entire 2 weeks leave to be ram packed full when home.

My question is - obviously the biggest part of getting something framed I'd choosing the mouldings and mounts that you like the look of most, or whichever best enhances the piece. How do I go about letting people chose the mouldings and mounts without having a walk in shop. I'd like to avoid customers walking in and out of my workshop with regards to poor parking availability and public liability etc. The only option I have come up with is to request they look at a website, be it LJ, LION, Wessex etc and chose their own favourite combo.

Any suggestions? Anyone work from home without a shop or showroom?

Any help much appreciated.

L&L
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Steve N
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Re: Need a little help - budding home framer.

Post by Steve N »

First of all you frame to enhance the artwork, not to match a totally different picture in the same room, not to match the deco of the room, not because the customer likes pink etc
They have to see the frame and mount around / next to the artwork, to get a sense of scale, colour contrast, and trying to do that from a supplier website is almost impossible fo the aforementioned reasons, also you don't want customers heading to suppliers websites, next thing you know they try and direct from them, thus taking money out of your pocket. Plus most customers will not even know that they are looking at on the web :giggle: :Slap: if you don't want customers coming to you, then go to them, do home visits, have a market stall, just do it once a month, to fit in with you full time job, or just make ready made frames and sell online. ...........
Steve CEO GCF (020)
Believed in Time Travel since 2035

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http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
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Justintime
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Re: Need a little help - budding home framer.

Post by Justintime »

I work from home. I have a "clean" studio and a separate garden shed type workshop for sanding, bandsaw router etc.
I have one large workbench in the centre. It's all by appointment. Due to Covid, they don't get to wander around to the sample wall anymore. Everything is brought to the table, behind a screen. Mounts, moulding samples etc. I think i'll keep it this way after Covid too.
Public liability is only about £100 a year and consider that you'll need cover anyway for your equipment, materials held as stock, customer's work in your care etc etc.
For many people framing is a complete mystery and IMHO it's the customer face to face experience that makes the difference between one visit or a regular customer. Framing often costs a lot more than the work did and educating them about the difference between quality framing and chucking it into an ikea frame is important too.
Some customers can't even picture the result when they have a real sample in front of them, when I have pulled out a catalogue in the past, I have had to then order a sample(1-2weeks) and some weren't interested in coming back to see it when it had arrived.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
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